Known ultrasound medical methods include using ultrasound imaging (at low power) of patients to identify patient tissue for medical treatment and include using ultrasound (at high power) to ablate identified patient tissue by heating the tissue. Known ultrasound imaging includes Doppler ultrasound imaging to detect blood flow, and a proposed known use of ultrasound includes using an ultrasound transducer outside the body to stop internal bleeding (by sealing ruptured blood vessels) of a patient brought to an emergency room of a hospital.
In one known ultrasound uterine medical treatment method, an ultrasound transducer is endoscopically inserted into the vagina but outside the uterus of a female patient and is used to ablate a portion of a uterine fibroid. A known method for providing acoustic coupling between the ultrasound transducer and nearby surrounding patient tissue within a body cavity includes surrounding the ultrasound transducer with an expandable outer balloon (i.e., bladder) as part of the ultrasound transducer assembly and injecting water between the ultrasound transducer and the balloon to expand the balloon against some of the body cavity, wherein the water provides the acoustic coupling between the ultrasound transducer and the nearby surrounding patient tissue in contact with the balloon. In another known method, added water is used between the ultrasound transducer and a non-expandable outer sheath of the ultrasound transducer assembly which surrounds the ultrasound transducer, wherein the sheath contacts some of the nearby surrounding patient tissue. In a further known method, added water is used without the balloon or sheath to provide the acoustic coupling. Balloons and sheaths do not contact all of the nearby surrounding patient tissue, especially when the body cavity has sharp body contours, and it is difficult to keep water within the body cavity without the use of a balloon or sheath.
In known non-ultrasound uterine medical treatment methods, blood flow in a uterine artery (or a branch thereof) is blocked by embolization using small micropellets, by ligation, or by fulguration. The aim of such uterine artery blockage is to reduce the size of a uterine fibroid supplied by blood from the uterine artery and/or to reduce abnormal uterine bleeding from such uterine fibroid. Normal uterine tissue is essentially unaffected by these procedures as the uterus is supplied abundant collateral blood via the ovarian arteries. However, having micropellets in an artery can pose potential medical problems, and ligating and fulgurating an artery are relatively invasive procedures.
Known ultrasound medical systems and methods include endoscopically inserting an end effector having an ultrasound transducer transrectally or transurethrally in male patients to medically destroy prostate tissue for benign and cancerous conditions. Rotatable ultrasonic end effectors are known which have an ultrasonic imaging transducer on one side and an ultrasonic treatment transducer on the opposite side and which have an ultrasonic treatment transducer of a short focal length on one side and an ultrasonic treatment transducer of a long focal length on the other side. A known ultrasonic end effector also includes a biopsy tool. Known methods for guiding an end effector within a patient include guiding the end effector from x-rays, from MRI images, and from ultrasound images obtained using the ultrasound treatment transducer.
Known non-ultrasound medical systems include endoscopic or laparoscopic clamp end effectors, wherein the clamp end effector is articulated and is steered by the user.
What is needed is an improved medical system and method for employing ultrasound within a body cavity of a patient. This invention addresses those needs lacking in an ultrasonic medical system and/or an ultrasonic medical method.